Bachelor of Arts in English

Earn a living and a degree on the N.O.W. Plus Pathway. Options are available to complete your degree 100% online – contact us today!

N.O.W. Plus stands for Nights, Online and Weekends, plus specialized supports to help working professionals be successful in earning a degree. The N.O.W. Plus pathway supports working people with the flexibility to learn part-time while they earn.

“I am delighted at the wealth of support offered by York University. l’m looking forward to the opportunity to be a part of the York University family”

A N.O.W. Plus Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Human Resources Management (BHRM), or Bachelor of Arts in English degree is the same Liberal Arts & Professional Studies degree as other students take. It’s just more convenient.

You can enrol in as many or as few courses as you like, but we recommend starting with one course in your first term to help with your transition and no more than two per term after that.

If you then plan to take five courses each year after that, you’ll complete your degree in six years. If you’ve already completed some post-secondary courses, you may be eligible for transfer credit that would allow you to finish faster. For example, if you have a three-year advanced diploma from an Ontario college, you could complete your degree in just three and a half years.

More than 9,000 mature students study at the Keele Campus or online. Events like the Atkinson Centre for Mature and Part-time Students (ACMAPS) Orientation will help you get to know a few of them and learn about the services available to help you be successful.

You’ll have access to the supports, curriculum, financial aid and student services that other Liberal Arts & Professional Studies students have. You’ll learn from the same instructors. And you’ll graduate with the same degree.

Many students prefer studying online for the convenience of learning from home or the office. Others choose to lighten their on-campus schedule by mixing in online courses. Online courses count towards your degree in exactly the same way as in-class courses do.

Students enrolled in online courses will be expected to complete assignments by specific due dates, follow a weekly schedule for learning activities, and write supervised formal on-campus examinations in person. Students more than three hours away from the University may arrange to write exams at another approved post-secondary institution or, when possible, write them online.

Time-management and study skills are very important in an online course. It’s hard to catch up once you’ve fallen behind. You’ll have group members depending upon your regular participation, and assignment deadlines to keep in mind. But if you follow the instructor’s suggested weekly schedule, you can stay on track.

In an online course, you’ll need to be comfortable with an instructor in the role of course leader/guide rather than lecturer. You’ll be absorbing information from readings, discussions, and asking questions. You’ll need to be willing to ask for the help you need from your instructor or TA, from classmates, or from the distance education/technical support.

While online courses are more convenient, they’re not necessarily easier. They often require more time than a lecture on campus because you are responsible for managing your learning. When you study online it’s easier for other activities to take priority and keep you from getting to your course work.

In an online course, you may be asked to write defensively and argue thoughts and issues as you communicate in the discussion area. You’ll need to be ready to share and post your thoughts and opinions with your fellow students in a respectful manner. The benefit is that you can take the time to think about what you are writing.

In order to participate in your online course, you’ll need to feel comfortable navigating the course website by using a browser, email, discussions, chats/wikis, and assessment tools. You’ll have the chance to learn and practise these skills as you participate in your course.

Remember, these are guidelines to help you think about the skills you’ll need. They will help you prepare to become a successful online learner.

As a pioneer in designing university courses for working professionals, York has the expertise to offer more than 9,000 mature students a thought-provoking, meaningful education experience.

Our courses are offered at our vibrant Keele campus, conveniently located near several 400-series highways and accessible by the TTC, GO, York Region, Brampton, and Viva transit systems. Please view our interactive map for more information on the campus including parking, directions, and amenities, or download our accessibility, Wi-Fi hot spot, gender-neutral washroom, and other maps.

The Keele Campus is a self-contained community located in the centre of the Greater Toronto Area. Five libraries, 92 buildings, athletic facilities, residences, a shopping mall, and green, groomed outdoor common areas make up a buzzing campus primed for your academic success and an active campus life. Although this is one of the largest university campuses in Canada, York has a reputation for being friendly and welcoming. If you need help, just ask.

To help you earn your university degree part-time while working, we offer N.O.W. Plus students reserved registration: this means that core program Night, Online, and Weekend courses have spaces reserved exclusively for N.O.W. Plus students. These spaces will be held for N.O.W. Plus students up until classes commence at the start of each term.

No, there is no requirement to take a certain number of courses each semester. But to remain actively registered at York University, you must take at least one course within one academic year (during the fall, winter, or summer terms).

New students with transfer credits will need to meet or speak with an advisor in order to register for their first course. Your advisor will help you pick the courses you need to satisfy your program’s requirements. Advising appointments are available to be booked in person, over the phone, or via email.

New students without transfer credits will automatically be invited to participate in the YU Start online enrolment module. This module provides a step-by-step guide on how to enrol in courses. Your Continuing Studies Advisor will be available to provide guidance throughout the process; however, you will still have the opportunity to book a distance or in-person advising appointment if you require further assistance.

For night and weekend courses, you can expect to spend three or four hours per week in class in addition to your scheduled exams. For online courses with a final exam, you should expect to be on campus for three to four hours for the exam, and we strongly encourage you to arrive on campus early. Students taking online courses who live more than three hours away will be able to write their exams at a location closer to their home. The bookstore offers online shopping so you won’t need to come to campus for course materials.

The N.O.W Plus pathway offers 90-credit degree programs which allows N.O.W. Plus students to graduate at least two years earlier than students in other part-time degrees (which are typically 120-credit programs). If you take the recommended 5 courses per year, you can complete your degree in as little as 6 years with no transfer credit and in as little as 3.5 years with some transfer credit.

Explore the world’s great literary works and find your own voice. Options are available to complete your degree 100% online – contact us today!

In English, we love stories. That is a given. But no one gets a degree just for loving stories. Students of English learn about literary art in all its forms, grow knowledgeable about the development of literature throughout history, feed their curiosity about writers and texts that they have yet to discover, and master the ability to think and communicate critically and imaginatively. A degree in English will signal your proficiency in the discipline’s knowledge, methodologies, theories, and expressive skills.

The English Department offers courses in literature from across time and place – from the middle ages to today, and from all around the world – with particular strengths in contemporary writing, popular genres (like children’s literature, comics and cartoons, and science fiction), and Canadian, British, and American literary traditions and innovations. The program will equip you with knowledge of literary genres and styles, periods and movements, national traditions, modes of criticism and interpretation, and intertextual connections. In English, you will develop and sharpen your ability to read critically and incisively, to listen constructively, and to express yourself convincingly out loud and in writing. Explore the world’s great literary works while strengthening your critical thinking, reading and writing. Choose from courses in:

All genres of literature: including poetry, drama, novels, and short stories

Literature across time: from the medieval literature of King Arthur to Shakespeare’s Renaissance stage to the Romantic poets and Victorian novelists to 20th-century Canadian and American developments and today’s newest works.

Theories and modes of literary interpretation, criticism, and cultural investigation

General education courses in the literary imagination and satire

. . . and much more!

This is the same high-quality English degree offered by the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies to other students, but with the added convenience and supports of N.O.W. Plus for working students.

Go N.O.W. – Apply by August 1, 2017 to start in September 2017

N.O.W. Plus is designed to help working adults earn a degree without disrupting their careers. You’ll have spots reserved in core Night, Online, and Weekend English courses, and you can take daytime courses if your schedule allows.

To earn a Bachelor of Arts in English degree you’ll need to earn 90 credits. The specific courses you need to take will depend on which electives and optional courses you choose. Courses are typically worth three credits each.

Once you’ve been accepted into the program, an advisor will be available to help you plan a schedule to complete your degree as efficiently as possible.

To be admitted into the Bachelor of Arts in English program, you’ll need to meet the University’s requirements for admission into the program that meets your situation including completion of:

Mature Student

Be at least 20 years old by the end of the calendar year of admission to the University

Have been out of full-time high school studies for at least two years or have returned to upgrade after a two year absence

Have attempted less than one full year of studies at an accredited university or college

Have demonstrated potential for success through academic, professional or volunteer activities and other accomplishments

College Transfer

Completion of a diploma program or at least two full semesters or one year of full-time academic study at an accredited college

Overall average of 3.0 or better on a 4-point scale (or equivalent)

University Transfer

Completion of at least four full-year courses or one year of full-time degree studies at an accredited university

Overall average of 2.0 or better on a 4-point scale (or equivalent)

Please note: If you have not completed four full years of study in Canada in English at the secondary-school level or in a country where English is a primary language of instruction, you must demonstrate your language proficiency in English. Further exemptions are available.

Approximately one to three days after the receipt of your application, you will be issued a reference number by email. Use that number to log into MyFile to submit your required documentation and pay your application fee.

Applications will be considered within ten business days of the admissions office receiving your complete documentation and application fee. You should expect an email from the admissions office within a few days.

Once you’ve accepted your offer of admission to York University, you’ll need to follow three easy steps to enrol in your N.O.W. Plus classes:

Schedule an advisory appointment or enrol in YU Start – an online orientation for enrolling in courses.

If you have credits from another university to transfer, you’ll want to book your in-person advising appointment as soon as possible. This will trigger a detailed assessment of credits applicable to your program. During your appointment, you’ll learn how to register for courses.

If you do not have transfer credit, you’ll receive an email inviting you to join YU Start – York University’s online orientation for enrolling in courses. You’ll need to complete the first module in order to gain access to course registration. If you prefer an advising session (in person, via email, or phone) you can request this through www.yorku.ca/myfile.

Sign up for “Passport York” so you can enrol in your courses during your appointment.

Application fee

There is a one-time non-refundable application fee of $100, due upon submission of your completed application. Please note that applications will not be reviewed until this fee is paid.

Tuition and student fees

Your fees are based on the year you began your studies, the degree you’re pursuing, and the number of credits you take each term. We recommend that N.O.W. Plus students enrol in one three-credit course in their first term and two courses each term after that.

You will be asked to pay a $300 registration deposit once per session to confirm your registration and unlock services (including financial aid). This is not an additional fee over and above course fees.

York University’s School for Continuing Studies is located in Toronto, Ontario and serves the GTA including Vaughan, Markham, Brampton, Mississauga, Richmond Hill, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa, Whitby and Ajax. We offer a degree pathway for working students, degree preparation courses including English academic preparation, professional certificates and post-graduate certificates to international students as well as non-traditional students from across Canada.